The Q3 2025 Areto Global Hate Speech Index shows that all Australian sports are now affected by persistent sexist and transphobic abuse, threatening players, coaches, referees, fans, and the commercial growth of the game. Women’s sports remain structurally higher (Index 180 vs. 131 for men’s sports), with post-World Cup women’s football experiencing extreme volatility in online hostility. Men’s sports are also seeing a +70% Year-over-Year (YoY) rise in abuse, highlighting that normalised hostility is spreading across the entire sporting ecosystem. Jacqueline Comer, Areto Labs Founder and CPO, says, "Persistent sexist and transphobic abuse affects the entire sports ecosystem—from athletes to coaches, referees, and fans. Women’s leagues remain the most targeted, but men’s sports are increasingly affected. Proactive, real-time interventions are essential to protect participants and sustain investment in the game." The full Index is publicly available at https://lnkd.in/gEn3dz5G
Co‑Founder & Chief Product Officer at Areto Labs | Product Leader | Responsible AI | Global Advisor & Speaker on Online Harms and Digital Safety
4dThanks for sharing this Q3 Index, STWS - Sports Tech World Series and shining at light on this. 2 key takeaways: a) you can’t fix what you haven’t measured, this is a solid wake-up call to action! and b) there are people and organisations, like Areto Labs and others, actively working to change this in Australia and beyond.